Automatic stopping device for windmills



- 3 Sheets8heet 1.

(No Model.)

W. D WILLIAMSON. AUTOMATIC STOPPING DBVIGE FOR. WmnMILLs.-

Patented Mar. 30, 1897.

WITNESSES:

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(No Model.) s Sheets-.-Sheet 2.

w. 1). WILLIAMSON. AUTOMATIC STOPPING DEVICE FOR WINDMILLS.

No. 579,854. S Patented Mar. 30, 1897.

' (No Model.) 3 Sheets--Sheet 3.

W. 1). WILLIAMSON. AUTOMATIC STOPPING DEVICE FOR WINDMILLS.

Nb. 579,854. Patented Mar. 30, 1897.

INVENTOH WITNESSES 7/ Q BY PATENT Trice.

\VILLIAM D. WILLIAMSON,

OF MADISON, I/VISOONSIN.

AUTOMATIC STOPPING DEVICE FOR WINDMILLS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 579,854, dated March 30, 1 89'7. Application filed June 24,1895. Serial No. 553,918. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that-I, WILLIAM D. WILLIAM- SON, of Madison, in the county of Dane and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and Improved Automatic Stopping Device for IrVindmills, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to windmill-stoppin g devices, and is comparatively simple and durable in construction, effective and automatic in operation, and more especially designed for use on windmills to turn the wind-wheel out of the wind as soon as the windmill has given a predetermined number of strokes to the pump-rod.

My invention consists of the combination of a lever which actuates upon a ratchet-wheel which in turn actuates upon a ratchet-lever actuating upon a ratchet-wheel which regulates the position of the stop, and a notched rack which is actuated by two pawls which are rendered operative or inoperative by the position of the stop, the whole device being adapted to be actuated from the pump-rod of a windmill, and its object being to render the mill inoperative after a certain predetermined number of strokes have been made by the pump-rod.

The invention also consists in certain parts and details and combinations of the same, as will be hereinafter fully described, and then pointed out in the claim.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in whichsimilar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1, Sheet I, represents all the parts assembled, front view. Fig. 2, Sheet II, represents a rear elevation of the instrument. Fig. 3, Sheet II, represents a vertical side view, right hand side of Fig. 2. Fig. 4,

Sheet II, shows a sectional elevation of the improvement. Sheet III shows the different parts in detail, of which Fig. 5 is a face view of one of ratchet-wheels, which is provided with a shoulder, as indicated in the sectional view given below and on one point of the circumference of which a notch is found. Fig. 6 is a face view of a ratchet-wheel with ratchetteeth in reversed order to those in Fig. 5 and is also provided with circular openings and provided with a plug, shown on the sectional view given below and also indicated on the face view. Figs. 7 and 9 show a pair of pawls in face and side views. Fig. 8 is a device which may be designated as a stop, it being U-shaped, so as to allow its two sides to slide freely in slots found in the case of the de vice. It is shown in vertical face and sectional views. Fig. 10 is a ratchet-lever, shown in its parts in side and top views. Fig. 11 is a ratchet connected to a double crank at the wrist, shown in side and top views. Fig. 12 is a straight steel spring, shown in face and top views.

The improved stopping device for windmills is provided with a suitably-constructed frame or case X X, within which the mechanism is inclosed and provided with lugs I, by means of which it may be fastened to a beam of the windmill-frame Q, or it may be the pump itself. On the outside of the case X is found a system of levers L, Z, and Z, that transmit the motion of the pump-rod G to the internal mechanism of the improvement.

The pump-rod G is connected wit-h the lever L at 00 and lever L is fulcrumed on the axle 00, which rises from the case X, so that on each up-and-down stroke of the pump-rod a reciprocating motion is imparted to the lever L.

In Fig. l, fore view, the pump-rod G is represented as being at the end of the downstroke. WVhen the rod G ascends, the pivot 00 rises, (as a consequence of the rocking motion of the lever L,) causing the pivot 00 to descend, which carries down with it (as a consequence of the link motion represented in Fig. 1 by Z and Z) the pivot 00 resulting in the turning of the lever Z on the fulcrum '0, Sheet II, Fig. 4. The lever Z, being fastened securely to one end of the axle of the double crank o, (shown in Sheet III, Fig. 11,) gives the pawl Va forward movement and causes it to engage with a tooth of the ratchetwheel D, causing it to revolve on its axle O, which is journaled in the case X X.

At the descending motion of the pump-rod G all of the above-described operations are reversed, which results in the recovery of the pawl V to its former position, and the abovedescribed operation is then repeated at each upward motion of the pump-rod.

As shown on the views,Figs. 1 and 2,ratchetpawl V and also pawl IV are found in a semicircular pocket or car of the ease X and X, and their hearings or axles e and u are journaled therein.

Once in every complete revolution of the ratchet-wheel D a plug 1), which projects from its surface, comes into contact with the leverratchet IV, Fig. 1, Sheet I, the same being fulcrumed about the pivot it, and at the next succeeding upward stroke of the pump-rod the wheel D, moving forward the distance of one tooth, carries with it the plug 1), which presses the lever-ratchet IV at its lower extremity and causes the upper arm WV to move forward and engage with a tooth of the ratchetwheel A, which in turn causes the ratchetwheel A to move forward in reversed direction to wheel D one tooth. After the plug 19 has advanced suffieiently so as to release the lever of the ratchet the coil-spring 3 (whose ends are attached, respectively, to the case X and the end of the ratchet \V) is allowed to act and causes the ratchet-lever to recover itself. \Vhen the ratchet-wheel A has progressed far enough so that the notch C comes opposite to the straight steel spring M, (which is attached to the case X at one end and free to move at the other,) the same is released and allowed to take the position as shown in Fig. 1, and better shown in Fig. 4, Sheet II. The normal position of spring M is when the projection an, Fig. 12, is in contact with the shoulder b of ratchet-wheel A. IVhen the spring M is released asaconsequence of the break of the continuity of the shoulder 12, it comes in contact with the stop S and raises the same, the stop being free to move in the slots S and S found in the case X. The normal position of the stop is at the lower ends of the slots S and S and in which position it is held by its own weight. IVhen the spring M has raised the stop, as shown in Fig. 1, the two pawls R and It are permitted to act. These pawls R and R are found on the outside of the case X, being between the lever L and outside of case X, and are journaled to the rocking lever L at the pivot 9. These pawls R and R are also furnished with counterweights f and f, Fig. 1, Sheet I, for the purpose of keeping their extremities in contact with the ratchetteeth h of the rack II, so that when the rocking lever L is operated by means of the pumprod G they act alternately on the teeth of the ratchet-rack H, (which is also an external member of the improvement,) thus causing the rack to descend, drawing with it the chain or wire connection K,which renders the windmill inoperative. On the eontrary, when the stop S is in its normal position, as described, the extremities of the pawls R and R slide up anddown without effect against the faces 5 and s of the stop S, which project through the slots S and S The ratchet-rack II is designed so as to admit of free vertical movement between the slot N and the lug 9 Figs. 1 and 4-, which is on the face of the case X.

The ratchet-wheels A and D are provided with a certain number of teeth, and these are enumerated so as to permit of being set so that a predetermined number of strokes of the pump-rod must be given before the shut-off device is rendered automatically operative.

Wheel A contains one hundred and one ratchet-teeth on its circumference. These teeth are numbered successively from O, which is diametrically opposite the notch C, to 100, inclusive, these numbers representing hundreds of upward strokes of the pumprod.

\Vheel D contains one hundred ratchetteeth numbered at four points on its circumference, designated 25, 50, 75, and 100, respectively.

In the case X is found a rectangular opening J (shown in Figs. 2 and 4-, Sheet 11) for the purpose of making the numbers on the ratchet-whcels visible, the circular opening 0 in wheel D being made to give a view of the numbering on wheel A. On Sheet III, Figs. 5 and 6, those enumerations are represented, but in the actual instrument they will be 011 the opposite faces of the wheel to those shown in the figures.

The possible range of this improvement of the pump-strokes is from one to ten thousand one hundred, and it can be easily set for any intermediate number of strokes by revolving the wheels independently by applying force by means of the fingers on the axle w to revolve wheel A and on the collar q to revolve wheel D, Fig. 4, Sheet II.

It may be added that the ratchet-wheels A and D lie in parallel planes and that the axle of wheel D is journaled in the case X and X. Vhile wheel D is journaled on the axle of wheel A, Figs. 5 and G, the whole are provided with shoulders around their axles, so that they do not come into contact and permit of space between them to give free play to the ratchet-lever IV. It may also be added that after the windmill is thrown out of the wind the instrument is again rendered operative by revolving wheel A so that the spring leaves the notch G and resumes its normal position against shoulder l). A wire fastened above K, leading to a common lever found usually on all windmills, is used to throw the wheel into the wind, and the wire K ascending draws up the rack II.

I11 the views several letters are given to which no reference has been made, and I will now explain their meaning.

7t represents a pin or bolt through axle 9; to hold collar (1 in place.

2' represents lugs and bolts which hold the case X and X together.

if and t are teeth of the ratchet-wheels.

I am aware that prior to my invention numerous devices for stopping a windmill automatically have been made. I am also aware that a rack similar to the one employed by me has been used, but I believe the manner I o ted lever, and a stop controlling the ratchetpawls and itself controlled by the ratchetwheels substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscriblng witnesses.

WILLIAM D. WILLIAMSON. Vitnesses A. E. PETTENGILL, O. S. NoRsMAN. 

